A larger size means that warnings are more visible, more important, and have more impact. By Team Viva
More than 118 countries worldwide now have made picture warnings mandatory, representing a global public health achievement and 58 per cent of the world’s population is covered by this regulation globally now. Timor-Leste now has the largest warnings in the world on cigarette packages at 92.5 per cent on front and back, Nepal and Vanuatu are at second at 90 per cent, New Zealand is fourth at 87.5 per cent, and Hong Kong, India and Thailand are at fifth position with 85 per cent on both sides of cigarette packets.
Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report 2018 was released in Geneva, Switzerland, at the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) being held from October 1-6 2018. The report highlights the tremendous progress internationally in implementing package health warnings on tobacco product packages, with many countries increasing warning size, more countries enforcing picture warnings, and an increasing number of countries requiring multiple rounds of picture warnings. The worldwide trend for larger, picture health warnings is growing and there is enormous international momentum for implementation of plain packaging. In total 107 countries/jurisdictions have required warnings to cover at least 50 per cent of the package front and back (on average), up from 94 in 2016 and 24 in 2008. There are now 55 countries/jurisdictions with a size of at least 65 per cent (on average) of the package front and back.
Health warnings on packages of tobacco products are a highly costeffective means of health communication. Package warnings reach every smoker (and consumers of other tobacco products) every day. Warnings are always working — 24 hours per day, seven days per week. A pack a day smoker would take his or her pack out 20 times per day, 7300 times per year. Warnings are also seen by those around the consumers, such as family, friends and co-workers. Effective package warnings increase awareness of the health effects and reduce tobacco use. As a result of health warnings, consumers receive more information, not less. Consumers are entitled to be fully informed of the many health effects of tobacco products, and the package is the best way to do that. Studies show that consumers, including children, underestimate the health effects, in low, middle and high income countries. A larger size means that warnings are more visible and have more impact. A larger size allows for bigger and better pictures, a larger font size and/or additional information, including cessation information. Further, a larger size makes it more difficult for the branded promotional part of the package to distract the consumer’s attention away from the warning.